Unforgiven
by goofball44306
Summary: Some things just cannot be forgiven. An alternate universe story of the Boy-Who-Lived where he is not the focus of his parents attentions, his brother is. One-Shot.


Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended.

**Unforgiven**

Lily and James Potter were fawning over their beloved son. Sixteen year old Robert Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived was enjoying his summer away from school. They were eagerly awaiting the O.W.L. results that were due to come in any moment. All three of them were positive that Robert had done well, as he _was_ who he was.

A tapping on the window brought them to their senses. James bounded over, letting in the snowy owl. The bird flapped over to a chair, and stuck out his leg dutifully. James relieved the owl, and it took off out the window again. He looked for the Hogwarts crest, but it wasn't there. It was addressed to 'James, Lily, and Robert.'

"Who is it from, James?" came Lily's voice.

"I don't know. It's obviously to us though." James replied setting the parchment on the table. He looked at Lily, before casting a bunch of revealing charms. They all turned up negative, showing that it was, indeed, just a missive from someone.

Robert looked at the letter, before looking at his father. "Well, go on. Open it!"

James looked at his son before opening the envelope. Out came a vial with some silvery mists, and a small piece of paper. James picked them up and read the words written out loud,

_James, Lily, Robert,_

_This is a memory. In my room, you will find a pensieve. Just drop the memory into it, and stick your head in. All will be answered there, _

_Your son,_

_Harry._

James looked at his wife, startled. She looked just as startled, but covered it up with a firm nod.

"It's probably best to do as the letter said. Let's get this over with." Lily stood, but then looked lost. "Uh, where exactly _is_ Harry's room?" she asked, ashamed that she couldn't locate her own son's room. A house-elf popped into the room, bowing his long ears almost touching the ground.

"Mistress Lily, Master James, young master Harry's room is in the basement of the west wing." was all the elf said, before popping back out.

James, a little red with the embarrassment of not knowing that, led the way. Fifteen minutes later, they stood outside a door that looked woebegone. James tentatively pushed open the door, as if afraid it might crumple into dust at any moment. The door gave way to a room that seemed all at once, tiny and enormous.

Against the far wall was a queen sized bed that looked quite broken in. Next to the bed was a nightstand littered with pictures of Harry, and a girl who switching between hugging him and kissing where ever her lips could reach on his face. Upon closer inspection, the girl looked to be of Indian descent. Lily was a bit ashamed at the fact that there was many a picture of them two in this very house, and yet she had no clue who shen was. That was cleared up seconds later by her son.

"Padma Patil! No bloody way!" his voice held a jealous tone, "No one ever believed her when she said she had a boyfriend! We all just thought that she didn't like me!"

Lily looked back at the girl in the photo, dreading what was to come. She didn't know exactly what was going on, but she did know that Padma and her twin sister Parvati had been murdered at the beginning of the summer. James seemed to put a connection together as well, since he held the same fearful expression.

Behind the pictures was a round bowl, filled to the brim with a silvery liquid like substance. Lily let out a triumphant noise, plucking the bowl from it's resting spot. She placed the pensieve on the bed, and then pulled the cork out of the vial. Pouring the memory into the pensieve, she turned to look at her husband and son. James nodded, his jaw set.

"Let's get this over with."

They stuck their heads into the memory, and with a feeling of being sucked into a vacuum, were inside the memory. In fact, the memory took place in this very room. A sixteen year old Harry James Potter was sitting on his bed, looking thoughtful. He looked up at the group, seeing them, yet not seeing them.

"If your seeing this, that means something has happened. Gringotts wouldn't have sent this otherwise." He picked himself up off the bed and walked over to his nightstand. He picked up a picture of him and Padma, staring at it almost reverantly. "Heh, I know I shouldn't be sad. She's the one that told me to do this, after all."

He turned to look out the window that was magically enchanted to give a different view. "As you know, I grew up here. In this room, with the house-elves to look after me. I know that you were very busy with Robert, so for that, I forgive you. I remember crying myself to sleep, after I woke from a nightmare. I can remember the way I used to wish upon star after star mum would come and sing me to sleep, just as I heard her do for Robert."

He wiped a tear from his face, and sat back on the bed. "I used to think that it was my fault. That I had done something wrong, and was undeserving of your love. As I grew, I realised that it was all in my head. You just didn't have the time of day for a second son. For that, I forgive you."

His voice cracked towards the end of that last sentence, and he cleared his throat. "I then tried my hardest to be the best I could at Hogwarts. I thought that maybe if I were the best, you'd give me a hug, or a pat on the back. Maybe even a compliment like, 'I'm proud of you son,' or some such thing. I then realised that Robert had his little adventures with Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger. You had to support him, as he had worked tirelessly against Voldemort's resurrection. For that, I forgive you."

"Then, one day in the middle of my third year, she showed up. Padma Patil. My beautiful, brilliantly amazing girlfriend." he voice cracked again, and he had to wipe a few more stray tears. "She seemed to notice me. She didn't seem to want to ask me questions about the amazing Boy-Who-Lived, or what it was like to live under the same roof as him. She was interested in me."

"Padma taught me so much. I stayed with her throughout the fourth year holidays, and we eventually went back to school. I felt like a new man. I was in love. Heh, it was strange to tell you the truth. I didn't even know what her parents were grilling me on until two weeks later. I remember Parvati found that particularly funny."

"Christmas of our fifth year came around, and as you know, people can go home for the hols. Padma had told Parvati and her parents that she was staying at Hogwarts. She came here. Into this very house, this very room, and lived with me for those three weeks. My bed," here he laid back onto the bed, a faraway look in his eyes, "played host to Padma Patil's body. What's more, Pad insisted that I sleep in the same bed."

"Two months into term, Padma came to tell me something important. I knew it had to be, seeing as she was near tears. Padma was pregnant. We were going to have a kid. I asked her what she wanted to do, and can you guess what she said? She told me, with that fiery look in her eyes that I love, that she was going to keep the child, and no matter what I did, I was going to be a father."

He sighed, coming out of his daze, and looked around the room. He picked up another picture of him and Padma, continuing in a distant tone. "I proposed to her. Over the Easter hols, I went to Ranak Patil and asked for his permission to marry his daughter. When he asked for a reason, I had to think. Why? Why did I want to marry Padma. Was it love, or lust I felt? I remember that I told Ranak it was because I loved her."

"Ranak had decided that if he was going to let one of his daughters get married, he wanted to be absolutely positive that it was for the best. I was given Veritaserum, five drops. Two more then standard, but Ranak never did anything standard. He did it the best way he could. I was asked of my intentions to his daughter. I said I wanted to marry her, start a family, and live out my life with her. He asked if there was anything influenced my decision. I thought I would have said yes. It came out no." Harry snorted sarcastically, "Who'd of guessed you can learn some things about yourself under a truth serum?"

"I came home, eager to ask Pad to marry me. She accepted, and she was due to be Padma Potter on June twelfth. Our plans were set, and I had gotten her ring. School ended, and I got a case of the nerves you know. Two days till my wedding, and Pads father and mother were enjoying my nervousness. I went home that night, thinking of Padma Patil, soon to be Potter, and my child."

"I woke the next morning with thoughts of Padma. I flooed over to her house, and what's this? It's blocked! I got to the nearest public floo point and rushed to her house. There was nothing there. Ranak had been killed, with his wand in his hand, defending his family. I arrived just in time to see Voldemort take away my everything. With two simple words, my world stopped. That was all, the day before yesterday. Today is Thursday, June thirteenth. I'm leaving to either kill Voldemort, or follow my love into the afterlife."

Here he turned to the Potter family, as if he knew exactly where they'd be. His facial expression and tone had outrage written all over them. "I have one thing to say to you all. Do you know what happened as soon as Voldemort left that site? You, James Potter, apparated in with twenty aurors. Then you, Lily Potter, apparated in with ten order members. I was broken. If you had arrived not _two_ minutes sooner, my love would have lived. The worst was yet to come. I learnt, that very same night that you knew of the attack. That one, Severus Snape, had told you all that Voldemort planned to kill the Patils. You knew this close to one _month_ in advance, yet you did nothing! For that, you are unforgiven."

As the last words began to play out, Harry faded from view, and they were shoved rather rudely, up from the pensieve. James took the moment to look at his wife, who had tears streaming down her face, and his son. His son had sort of hollowed up inside. James couldn't be sure, but he had heard tales of twins that could feel each other's presence, even over long distances, and Robert looked lost.

James let out a shuddering breath, "I guess we ought to do something. Come on. Let's go talk to Dumbledore, and have some supper."

The Potter Family walked out of the room of Harry Potter, feeling heartbroken. When the door was shut, Lily pulled her wand, and cast preservation charms on the whole room. Finished, she turned and hurried to catch up to her husband and son.

**A/N: Ok, I'm in a rather sad mood. I hate to lose a family member, but it happens. The best you can hope for is that they go peacefully. Have a good spring break everyone.**

**Goofball**

**A/N 2: Recently updated with some grammar and a different ending. I still like this piece, oddly. **


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